Frederic l



No. 606,746. Patented Iuly 5, |898.

F. L. TEMPLE.

ELECTRIC LIGHT SWITCH.

(Application 'filed Oct. 7, 1897.)

(No Model.)

TH: Nonms PETERS co. pHoro-uwe., WASHINGTON, n. c

NrrED STATES ATENE @Erica FREDERIC L. TEMPLE, oEsr. JOHN, CANADA.

ELECTRIC=LIGHT SI'II'Cl-l.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 606,746, `dated July 5, 1898.

Application tiled GllOlJel '7, 1897. Serial No. 654,385. (N0 modell) T0 all whom, t may concern:

Beit known that I, FREDERIC L. TEMPLE, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at St. John, in the county of St. John and Province of New Brunswick, Canada, have invented Certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Electric-Light Switches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in switches for electric and other lights.

It has for its object to serve as an automatic check against waste of the electricity or gas, being particularly applicable and desirable in hotels and other buildings, as by its use upon an inmate or occupant of a room withdrawing the key from the door after, it is presumed, locking4 the same the electricity or gas will be turned off and the light extinguished.

The invention therefore consists of two pivoted members or levers, with their meeting or approaching portions adapted to receive between them and to be actuated or spread apart by the stem of the door-key and springmetal conductors, with their lapping portions or contact-points caused to engage each other by the action of the aforesaid levers or members upon said conductors, substantially as hereinafter more fully disclosed, and specifically pointed out by the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the preferred form of carrying out my invention, Figure l is a perspective view of my improved electric or gas light switch as applied for use. Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof; and Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the same, showing the position of the parts when the circuit is broken.

Latitude is allowed herein as to the details of the construction and arrangement of the parts, as they may be varied without involving the spirit or principles of my invention and the same yet remain intact.

vC O refer to two members or levers suitably fulcrumed or pivoted through lapping portions g upon a common pivot-bolt f, entering and xed in the board or insulator B and plate A, said board being suitably se- I cured to said plate and having a surrounding iiange, upon which is secured a thin board or insulator E. The parts A B E thus form a closure or casing for the several features of the switch and are secured to the door at the keyhole, said plate being placed next thereto. The levers or members C C are arranged shears-like preferably, having their jaws or upper portions beveled, as at c', and provided where thus beveled with opposite recesses c, one arranged in each jaw, and coincident with these recesses the parts A B are pron vided with alining keyhole-shaped openings corresponding with the doorkeyhole. Thus said recesses are adapted to provide for the prying or forcing apart of the jaws of the members or levers C as the key is pushed home into the lock of the door, the beveled surfaces permitting the end of the key` stem to readily pass thereinto. The levers or members C are provided with suitably-insulated studs or projections Z at their eXtreme lower ends, extending from their rear side through an arcuate slot n in a preferably thin wooden board or insulator D, interposed between the lower arms of the levers or members C and conductors referred to hereinafter.

Zt Zt are spring-metal conductors insulated from the levers or members C by the board or insulator D and connected to the inner sides of a downward extension of the flange of the part B by suitably-nutted screw-bolts m, in practice adapted to provide for the connection therewith of the negative and positive wires of an electric circuit, (not shown,) in turn connected to an electric lamp. These conductors have at their upper ends lateral contact-points h', caused to normally engage each other by the action of the levers or members C when the key is in engagement therewith, the projections or studs Z of said levers engaging and pressing inward upon the arms or limbs of said conductors, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. It will be seen, however, that when the key is withdrawn the lower portions or arms of the levers or members C will be permitted to be moved or thrown outward by the reaction of the'spring-arms of the conductors h ZL, continuously in contact, with the studs Z Z of said levers, thus allowing the lapping iianges or contact-points h h of said Conductors to spring apart, and Consequently IOO break the current and extinguish the light. Thus an automatic check is provided against the wanton waste of the gas or electricity. rlhis is obvious from the faet that the act of withdrawing' the key after locking` the door upon leaving the room ents oil the electricity or gas, thus preventing the failure, accidental or otherwise, to tnrn ofi the light, as not infrequently now happens, greatly to the detriment of the expense-account of the owner of the hotel or house.

The aforesaid parts do not interfere with the eut-ting,r off and the turning on of the light at the eleetrolier or gasolier.

With the key reineerted in the door from the inside the eurrent oi' course will be again turned on and maintained, relighting the apartment or room.

llavine` thusl fully described my invention, what l claim, and desire to secure by letters latent, is-

l. ln an electric-light switch, lthe shearslike levers or members, haring their upper portions or jaws adapted to readilyT receive between them the inner end of 'the door-key, and the spring-metal electric eondnetors,with their lower ends-adapted to be Connected to electric wires, and having1 upper end enga-ging` Contact-points, said levers or members eoeyrzie also haringi insulated projections or studs adapted to engage said springscend uctors and hold said contact-points in engagement with the aid of the door-key, substantially as set i'orth.

in an electric-light switch, the shearslike levers or members having their `upper portions or jaws beveled and provided, "where thus beveled, with opposite recesses, to re` ceive the innerend oi the door-lloy, and their lower ends provided with insulated studs or projections, and the spring-metal electrical conduetorsinsulated from said levers or inem* bers and haring,` at their upper ends lapping.,r contaetepoints and their lower ends seeured in plaee by nntted bolts adapted to el'ioct eenneetion with eleetric wires, said eleetricconduetors insulated from said levers, and said levers having;l insulated studs er projections arranged in a slotin the imfnilation amladapt ed to engage said electric comluetors7 sul stantialiiT as set forth.

ln testimonyr whereof l aliinv my signature in presence cf two witnesses.

lfR-'EDLRIU il. TEMPLE.

iVitnesses:

J. lt. liioiniixnri', J. liLNe lnigtnr. 

